Overhead track sliding door with swinging action



Aug. 21, 1951 F. E. LINEBAUGH 2,555,383

OVERHEAD TRACK SLIDING DOOR WITH SWINGING ACTION Filed June 23, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 21, 1951 F. E. LINEBAUGH 2,565,333

OVERHEAD TRACK SLIDING DOOR WITH SWINGING ACTION .5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 23, 1947 Aug. 21, 1951 F. E. LINEBAUGH OVERHEAD TRACK SLIDING DOOR WITI I SWINGING ACTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 25, 1947 A TTORNE Aug. 21, 1951 F. E. LINEBAUGH OVERHEAD TRACK SLIDING DOOR WITH SWINGING ACTION Filed June 25, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ildlli Fllilvil'illfllliiilaIf!!!.

Aug. 21, 1951 F. E. LINEBAUGH OVERHEAD TRACK SLIDING DOOR WITH SWINGING ACTION Filed June 25, 1947 Patented Aug. 21, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OVERHEAD TRACK SLIDING DOOR WITH SWIN GIN G ACTION 8 Claims.

This invention relates to structure for hanging doors or other closures and has for its primary aim provision of mounting means adaptable to permit a door to swing to an open position on either side of the opening which it closes or to slide rectilinearly if desired.

The most important object of this invention is to provide door hanging structure having a carriage reciprocable longitudinally on rollers within a hollow elongated track and provided with pivotal means interconnecting the door and the carriage, permitting swinging movement of the door when the carriage and door carried thereby are at one end of their paths of travel.

An important object of this invention is the provision of door hanging structure having means for automatically locking the aforesaid reciprocable carriage against movement when at its one end of its path of travel, and when it is desired to swing the door on its pivotal axis.

Another important object of this invention is provision of pivotal means underlying the door yieldably held in operable position when the door is in a position to be swung open and closed and shiftable manually out of engagement with the door when it is desired to open the door by .moving the same through a rectilinear path of travel.

A further object of this invention is the provision of door hanging structure having means forming a part of the aforesaid carriage and pivotal connection of the door thereto for yieldably holding the door in a number of selected swinging positions and automatically closing the door from certain swinging positions.

A still further object of this invention is to provide door hanging structure having means for 'pivotally connecting the door to the aforesaid carriage adaptable to permit raising and lowering of the door and thereby controlling the operation of the above mentioned carriage locking mechanism.

Many additional objects relating particularly to details of construction, will be made clear or I become apparent during the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a door having the hanging structure forming the subject matter of my present invention associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken on line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view, taken on line III-1II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the pivotal support for the door, taken on line IVIV of Fig. 5,

looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, taken on line V-V of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an inside end view of the outermost pivotal mechanism, taken on line VIVI of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an innermost end elevational view thereof, taken on line VII-VII of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one end of the supporting track, parts being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view, taken on line IX-IX of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view of the track and carriage mounted therein, taken on line XX of Fig. 11.

Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view, taken on line XL-XI of Fi 10.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, taken on line XIIXH of Fig. 13, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary substantially central longitudinal cross sectional view, taken on line XIIIXIII of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary detailed cross sectional View, taken on line XIV-XIV of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a plan View of the uppermost edge of the door per se, showing the same entirely removed from association with the handing structure.

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary sectional view of the track showing one end of the carriage, taken on line XVI-XVI of Fig. 13, showing position of parts when the door is completely closed.

Fig. 17 is a view similar to that shown in Fig.

16, with the parts illustrated in the position when the door is swung open to one side of its opening.

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional view of the opposite end of the supporting structure taken on line XVI1'I-XVIII of Fig. 23.

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the track and at said opposite end thereof.

Fig. 20 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional view, taken on line X'XXX of Fig. 21.

Fig. 21 is a cross sectional view, taken on line XXI-XXI of Fig. 20.

Fig. 22 is a cross sectional view taken on line XXII-XXII of Fig. 20.

Fig. 23 is a longitudinal fragmentary cross sectional view, taken on line XXIII-XXI1I of Fig. 21, and

Fig. 24 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the door and supporting structure, taken on line XXIV-XXIV of Fig. 23.

It has been found desirable in homes, restaurants and other public buildings to provide a door that will not only swing in either direction but which will reciprocate in a straight line of travel, if such is desired. In the home, for instance, a swinging door shutting off the kitchen from other rooms is quite advantageous to eliminate the necessity of hand action in looking and unlocking the same While carrying articles from and to the kitchen. Many times, however, such a swinging door, when open either into the kitchen or adjacent rooms, is in the way or unsightly. Since such a door may be used only infrequently, it is an object of this invention to make it possible to slide such swinging door out of the way when the same is not being used. Many other adaptations will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

Reference to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive will show generally the way in which the door, broadly designed by the number i8, is designed to operate. This door ill is formed to fit within the framework It in the usual manner and through use of the mechanism about to be described, will either swing in two directions, as shown in Fig. 3, or slide rectilinearly into a pocket i i formed within wall Fig. 2 illustrates the way in which an elongated track l8, co-extensive in length with the distance door it will travel, is mounted within a framework l2 above door ill and extends into pocket is. The lowermost edge of the door iii is releasably held in place adjacent the pocket is by mechanism illustrated in Figs. l to '7 inclusive. This mechanism includes a T-shaped plate 01' strip 28, pivotally mounted upon a lowermost plate '22 by a pin 24. These plates 26 and extend into the pocket Ml formed in wall 55 and are held. in place by a pair of screws 26 or the like, extending through plate 22 and into floor 28 underlying the door Ill.

Fig. 6 also illustrates the manner in which the plate 22. extends upwardly into a pair of flanges 38, also held in place by a pair of screws or the like passing into wall H5.

The plates all and 22 have longitudinal slots 3% and 36 respectively formed therein and extending inwardly from pin 2%. A spring 38 has one leg thereof disposed within the slot 36 of plate 22. The free end of this leg of spring 32 is held in place by a cross bar ill underlying plate 22 across slot 355 and secured to plate 22 by welding or the like. From this leg of spring 2-8 the same is looped about the pin 24% and rebent upon itself, terminating near the innermost end of slot 34. This leg of the spring Si? Within slot 3 is then again rebent upon itself into a loop 32.

A second cross bar i l disposed and formed similarly to cross bar it is secured to plate 20 On the uppermost face thereof and to the spring 38 by a bolt or the like d6, all as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. That end of the plate 26 opposite to slot 3 has a depression #38 formed therein for receiving a ball 58. This ball 50 is rigidly secured to plate 26 by welding or the like. The door i0 is provided with a bracket 52 having an opening 54 therein registering with a cavity or socket 56 formed in a block 58 set into door it). This socket 56 receives the spherical member Ell when the plate 26 is swung to the uppermost end of its path of travel, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5.

It is clear from the foregoing that the spring 35 yieldably maintains the plate 26 separated from the lowermost plate 22 where the ball 59 is within socket 56 and when door In is without the pocket l-l formed in the wall it. The width of the plates 26 and 22, throughout the greater portion of their lengths, is substantially the same as the width of pocket M and the width of door l0. That plate 28, however, being T-shaped, ha a pair of projecting tabs 58, extending to each side of the door ill. The operator may disengage the ball 5i within socket 56 by merely stepping upon either of the tabs 85], thereby moving plate 20 downwardly against plate 22, against the action of spring 38. When the door 50 is then moved into the pocket i l, the lowermost edge thereof rides along and engages the uppermost surface of the looped portion 42 of spring 33. This relationship between the door it] and the loop 42 is shown by full lines in Fig. 5.

As door is is moved to the fully open position within pocket i l, the ball 59 will be held entirely out of engagement with any portion of the lowermost edge of door ill. When the door It) is returned to the closed position without the pocket M, the ball 56 will automatically spring into position within socket 56, as soon as the lowermost edge of the door it] passes beyond loop 42 and to a position where socket 56 is in alignment with ball 50.

Figs. 10 to 18 inclusive illustrate the hanging structure for door Ill at one end thereof, namely that end directly above the pivotal mechanism just above described and shown in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive. The track I8, shown in cross section by Fig. 9, is channel-like and open at its bottom end throughout its entire length, to present a pair of opposed rails 62, upon which a plurality of rollers $6 ride when the door IE] is moved into and out of the pocket l4.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate means for mounting one end of the channel 13 within the pocket i i of wall 15. This mounting means includes a resilient member 5'6 designed to conform to the sizes and shape of the innermost surface of channel [8 and maintainable therein through frictional engagement with all four walls of channel l8. A nail 63 passes through this member 65 and extends outwardly beyond the innermost end of channel l3. During installation of channel I8 within the pocket M, the member 65 is placed in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. When channel I8 is in the desired position, it is secured to the framework Ill by means of a plurality of screws or the like id. By means of a long pin or rod, the nail 68 may be easily driven into the proximal studding of wall It. When it becomes necessary to remove the channel l3 and parts associated therewith for repair or replacements, this channel l8 will easily slip from its frictional engagement with member 58 after removement of screws Ill. Replacement of channel it! may thereupon be accomplished without necessity of removing member 6%; or removing any part of the wall It.

A carriage broadly designated by the numeral l2, is mounted within the channel l8. This carriage l2 includes a hollow channel-like member l' l, open at its bottom and having a length substantially the same as the width of door l8. There is upon the outer-most surface of side walls of this member 74 a point where rollers 64 are mounted and journalled for rotation.

The hollow member 14 has a block or plate 76 rigidly mounted therein through the medium of a plurality of transverse pins l8. This plate '76 slidably supports a bar 88 upon the uppermost face thereof. This bar 80 is formed, as

clearly illustrated in Figs. 16 and 17, and is provided with a head 82 at one end thereof, disposed exteriorly at one end of the hollow member I4. This head 82 is provided with an elonated slot 84 and a cam shoe 86, which extends slightly above the normally uppermost face of bar 89. A pin 88, having a cross head 90 upon the upper-most end thereof, passes through the slot 84 in bar 80 and thence downwardly through an opening 92 formed in the plate I6. The lowermost end of this pin 88 is bifurcated as clearly shown in Fig. 12 to hingedly receive a link 94 that is pivoted to the pin 88 by a shaft 96. This shaft 96 is disposed in transverse relationship to the door I0. An L-shaped bracket 98 is mounted upon the uppermost edge and proximal side edge of the door I0, through the medium of a plurality of screws I09.

This bracket 98 has an opening I02 formed therein for receiving the pin 88 and the link 94. A connector for mounting the link 94 to the door II] consists of a pair of segments I04 and I96, disposed within a cutout portion I99 within door I9, immediately underlying the bracket 98. The link 94 has a slot II!) formed therein and the segment I06 is L-shaped, one leg thereof-extending into the slot IIIl of link 94. A pair of bolts H2 passes through aligned openings in bracket 9! segment I04 and segment I 06. The openings within segment I 96 are internally threaded to the end that when torque is applied to the bolts IE2, the link 94 is tightly clamped between the segments I65 and I 0-6. The provision of the slot H0 in link 94 presents a positive prevention of door If) sliding from link 94. This means of attachment makes it possible to remove door I0 as desired with ease without the necessity of first removing the track I0 andits associated parts. Furthermore, adjustment of bolts II2 makes it possible to attain perfect alignment of door I0 with respect to aforesaid structure from which it hangs.

It is readily understood that the weight of door I 9 is supported by the cross bar 90, resting upon the uppermost surface of the bar 80. The cam shoe 86 is yieldably maintained against the cross bar 90 by a spring H4, having one end thereof connected to that end of bar 30 opposite to cam shoe 66 and the opposite end thereof secured to the member I4 by a screw HE. A partition H8 is welded or otherwise fixed within the member "I4 intermediate the ends thereof and a nut I29 threaded upon the screw H6 serves as a means for adjusting the tension of spring II 4 as desired. Adjustment of the nut I26 may be accomplished through the medium of a plurality of holes I22 formed therein, the tool used passing through the channel I8 between the rails 62 thereof, and through the open bottom of member I4. Thus it is seen that the shoe 86 will be held tightly against one longitudinal edge of cross bar :90 by spring H4 and will close the door automatically when swung manually to either side of the opening and released at any angle of less than 90 with the closed position. By the same token the door II] will be held in either of the open positions by spring II4 holding shoe 66 tightly against the end of cross member 90, thereby yieldably maintaining door I0 open. A number of guide shoes made from fiber or other resilient material are interposed between the member 14 and the channel I8 to prevent lateral movement of the member I4, as the same travels longitudinally within channel I8 and to resist shocks caused by movement of the door III. In lieu of the type of shoes I24 shown it is contemplated that various types of leaf springs properly corrugated or otherwise contoured may be utilized.

The construction of carriage I2, as well as door III at that end thereof opposite to the pivotal connection established by pin 88, is shown clearly in Figs. 19 to 24 inclusive. Door II] has an L- shaped hook I26 slotted as at I29 and secured to one edge thereof opposite to bracket 98 by screws I28 and plate I30. Screws I28 pass through slot I 29 to permit adjustability of the hook I26. This hook I26 extends upwardly above the uppermost edge of door I0 and is inturned as at I32. A pin I34 passes transversely through the member I4 and journals a hook I36. This hook I36 extends downwardly from the pin I34 and terminates in a flap I 38 normally underlying the flap I32 of hook I26.

The hook member I36 is cut away upon a substantially central line therethrough as at I31, shown in Fig. 18, to present a portion I39 coiled about the shaft I34, as clearly shown in Fig. 23. The remaining portion of hook I36 projects laterally from shaft I34 and inwardly into the channel I8. This projecting portion I4I of hook I36 presents an arm I40 extending transversely across member 14 through openings I43 formed therein. This arm I 40 is designed to engage with a pair of stops I42 mounted upon the channel I8 and extending inwardly from the innermost surface of the opposed side walls thereof. It is clear that when the arm I49 of hook I36 is swung downwardly from that position shown in Fig. 21, to the position shown in Fig. 23, the same will engage the stops I42 and prevent movement of member 14 within the track I8. When the door I0 is hanging upon the hook I36 by means of its hook I26, as shown in full lines by Fig. 23, the arm I 40 of hook I36 will be swung upwardly toward the top of member I4 and out of engagement with the stops I42. By the same token when door I0 is raised to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 23, the flap I32 and the flap I38 will both raise to the dotted line position shown. The flap I38 will be caused to so move 'becauseof a spring I 44. This spring I44 is U-shaped and interposed between the uppermost wall of member 14 and a cross bar I46 fixed to the legs I 4| and in underlying relationship therewith.

A portion of one end of channel I8 is closed by a bumper I48 made from any suitable resilient material such as rubber. When the door I0 is moved to the closed position by shifting the carriage '12 toward the bumper I48, the member I4 will strike this bumper I48 and a positive stop thereby provided. The momentum caused by sliding the door In to the closed position will cause door I0 to swing upon the pin 96. As the member 14 strikes bumper I48, the door II] will automatically raise to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 23. The hook I26 will thereby raise and the carriage 12 will be locked against further movement by arm I40 and stops I42.

At the same time the ball 50 will automatically seat itself in socket 56 and the door I0 is then in position to have swinging movement imparted thereto since the flaps I32 and I 38 are out of engagement. If instead of opening the door by swinging movement, the operator desires to move the same into the pocket M, the ball 50 is released from socket 56, by means previously described, which will permit door I0 to be lowered by swinging on shaft 96, and a release of the 7 locking mechanism just described for the carriage 12 will be effected.

Manifestly the hanging structure forming the subject matter of this application may be used with many different types of closures other than that chosen for illustration and many changes and modifications made therein to permit adaptation in addition to those herein contemplated, without departing from the spirit of this invention or scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a door frame, a door for said frame, and a wall having a chamber adjacent the frame for receiving said door, of an elongated track in the frame and the chamber; a carriage reciprocably mounted in said track for movement longitudinally therealong; a pivot member depending from said carriage and pivotally connected thereto for swingably hanging said door on the carriage; a pivotal support for the door exteriorly of said chamber, said support being movable to and from a position engaging the door; a yieldable device for holding said support biased toward the door; and parts on the support disposed for engagement by the door as the latter reciprocates with said carriage for holding the support out of engagement with the door.

2. Door structure comprising an elongated track; a carriage reciprocable longitudinally on said track; a door depending from said carriage; a pivot member joining the carriage and the door for swingably mounting the door; a hook on the door and on the carriage respectively, spaced from said member, said hooks being in overlapped interengagement when the door is at one position along its swinging path of travel whereby to support the door for reciprocable movement with the carriage; and a lock for interconnecting the track and the carriage when the latter is at one end of its path of travel to hold the same against reciprocation, said lock having a movable element, said hook on the carriage being swingable thereon and operably connected with said element for controlling the look as the hook on the carriage is swung.

3. Door structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein said movable element constitutes an arm connected directly with said hook on the carriage for swinging movement therewith.

4. Door structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein said movable element constitutes an arm connected directly with said hook on the carriage for swinging movement therewith, and wherein said hook is provided with a yieldable device arranged to hold the same biased toward one end of its swinging path of travel with said arm in a locked position.

5. In door structure, a door; an elongated track; a carriage reciprocable longitudinally along said track; a pivot member interconnecting the carriage and the door at the upper end thereof for swingably suspending the door from the carriage; a pivot device underlying the door and normally engaging the latter to cooperate with the pivot member in supporting the door for swinging movement with respect to the carriage, said pivot device being shiftable out of engagement with the door whereby to render the latter reciprocable with the carriage; and a yieldable element on the pivot device for holding the same biased toward the door.

6. In door structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein is provided an extension on the pivot device, disposed for engagement by the door as the same is reciprocated for holding the pivot device out of engagement with the door against the action of said yieldable element.

'7. In door structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein said door has a socket formed therein and said pivot device is provided with a spherical member fittable into the socket when in a position pivotally supporting the door.

8. In door structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein said door has a socket formed therein and said pivot device includes a plate swingable toward and away from the door, there being a spherical member fittable in said socket when the plate is swung toward the door.

HUBERT E LINEBAUGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 708,205 Clift Sept. 2, 1902 739,088 Krisner Sept. 15, 1903 782,139 Jones Feb. '7, 1905 889,798 Markey June 2, 1908 1,086,325 Henry Feb. 3, 1914 1,173,399 Van Orden Feb. 29, 1916 1,213,249 Phillips Jan. 23, 1917 1,468,053 Townsend Sept. 18, 1923 1,728,954 Bell Sept. 24, 1929 1,869,368 Dries Aug. 2, 1932 1,945,332 Robinson Jan. 30, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 579,781 France Oct. 23, 1924 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,565,383 August 21, 1951 HUBERT E. LINEBAUGH It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

In the heading to the drawings, Sheets 1 to 5 inclusive, line 1, for F. E. Linebaugh read H. E. Limbaugh;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of November, A. D. 1951.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

